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It was the magical moment Melbourne Storm fans have been waiting for all year.
But instead of witnessing Cameron Smith lifting the Provan-Summons Trophy into the air in a powerful sporting moment of ecstasy, Storm fans got to see Issac Luke running for the Warriors in 2018, followed by some highlights of Shaun Johnson from the same year.
Despite being away from home for months due to the closure of Victoria’s borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Storm stopped Penrith Panthers, which they quickly finished, to win the grand final of the NRL 26-20 on Sunday. at night.
Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
The moment of lifting the Cameron Smith trophy that Kiwi fans missed.
New Zealanders watching on SKY Sport saw a handful of quick interviews immediately after the full-time whistle, but missed the trophy presentation, much of the celebrations, and Ryan Papenhuyzen received the Clive Churchill Player of the Match medal in the big game. final.
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In a final blow to league fans, the Warriors stand out, after repeating themselves multiple times, then switched to rugby replays.
A message from SKY Sport appeared on the television screens apologizing for the interruption of the broadcast and assured viewers that it would resume soon.
Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
Ryan Papenhuyzen received the Clive Churchill Medal, but it was not shown on New Zealand television.
At 12.30am, fans were still waiting as coverage of the NRL grand finale ended.
SKY Sport apologized for the outage it described as beyond its control, which reportedly affected all countries broadcasting the match, outside of Australia.
Social media was filled with whistleblowers, and many of them posted on Sky Sport’s social media channels.
“Thanks for ruining the night,” said a whistleblower on Twitter.
Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
Melbourne Storm fans who watched in New Zealand missed the moment their team lifted the Provan-Summons trophy.
“What’s the matter with you guys? I’m watching the NRL grand final and your coverage is cut off before the presentation of the Clive Churchill medal and trophy. Terrible,” said another.
“I missed the entire NRL presentation because you wanted to touch on the highlights of Shaun Johnson playing for the Warriors. What’s going on (sic)?”
Since then, the submissions have been posted on the SKY Sport Facebook page so that anyone who has gotten lost can watch a replay.
Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
Ryan Papenhuyzen received the Clive Churchill medal as man of the match in the final.
“We apologize for the problems with our coverage of the post-match events of the NRL Premier League Grand Final,” SKY Sport said in a statement via its social media platforms.
“Unfortunately, there was a worldwide problem with the distribution of the footage that was beyond our control.
“We have managed to get our hands on the images of the presentation of the Clive Churchill Medal and more, below. We hope you enjoy it and enjoy your long weekend,” the statement read.
But not everyone was happy with the pay-TV network that offered a rerun the next day.
“While I appreciate you uploading this video, I would also have liked to see the post-game interviews and Team Storm taking the trophy out onto the field. Not good enough Sky. As a loyal paying customer (I’ve been one for last 10 years), having the final moments of the live grand finale cut short is a shame. I’m still disappointed, “a Facebook complaint reads.
SKY Sport has been contacted for comment.
